Wood-splitting machine



Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,102

G. S. WITHAM, SR

WOOD SPLITTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 31, 1927 Nov. 13, 1928.

G. S. WlTHAM, SR

WOOD SFLITTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 51, 1927 appended claims.

side, similar lower bars Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PAT memes ZEN F CE GEORGE s. WITHAM, sit), or HUDSON FALLS, new Yonir, assrenon o RAMAR strum v GATE, INQ, or non-soils; vinenvm, a oonronn'rron or VIRGINIA.

woon-sr I'rrri-Io MAQHENE.

Application'filed May 31,

This invention-relates to an improved machine for splitting, slabbing or quartering wood or similar material and has for its purpose the provision of a device which will rapidly and efiicientlydividc a slab ofwood into the desired number of parts. The revolving disks or knives are held stationary against any movement except 'rotary movement and the blocks of wood are drawn into contact with said disks by means of a traveling carriage which as herein illustrated is in the form of an endless chain'or chains passing oversuitable guiding means;

The revolving disks or knives may be mounted either vertically or'horizontally and the number thereof may be varied in accordance with the number of piecesin which it is desired to splitthe block 'ofwood. Further details of the invention will be apparent'from the following description and set forthin the 1 In the drawings: p Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectio n on the line I 22 of Figure 1. Figure 8 is a top plan view of a machine. Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line r4lof Figure 8. s t

Figure 5 is a view which is diagrammatic in character and discloses the successive operations performed upon the block of wood. A suitable framework is provided which as illustrated consists of four vertical posts 1, uppervlongitudinal connectingbars 2 at the i 3 and intermediate bars 4. At each end transverse connecting" bars 5 are employed at the top and similar; transverse bars 6 at the bottom. Intermedi? ate vertical members Textend betweeirthe longitudinal bars 2 and 4 and intermediate bars 8 between the longitudinal bars 3 and 4-. Bracing members 9 may also be employed as desired. These various members which constitute the frame may be of any desired or suitable material and may be fastened; to gether in any suitable n'ianner withoutaffecting the scope of the invention. i

Mounted outside of the frame bars 1 and in suitable bearings attached thereto at each end of the machine are transverse shafts l0 and similar shafts 11 are supported at a lower level. The upper shafts'lO'each are provided with a plurality of sprocket wheels 12 a ra d ent ea h eth n i lar tral plungers thereinand which'engag e in sock 1927'. Serial No. 195,337.

sprocket wheels 13 are mounted on the lower shafts 1:1. Endless sprocket chains 14 pass around each series of sprocket wheels and these chains together form a traveling bed or platform upon which may be supported the Wooden blocksjX. Each of the chains carries projections or shoulders 15 which engage the blocks and force them against and" past the splitting disks or'knives. Suitable hearings on the longitudinal top bars 2 support a transverse sh aft 16 andsinr ilar hearings on the upperside of the longitudinal bars a support a similar transverse shaft 17. An upper splitting disk or knife 18 -is carried by the shaft 16* and a similar lower disk or knife 19 is carried by the shaft 17." The edges of these disks are in alignment and are close enough together so thatthey will split the block of wood by their simultaneous action thereon." ,These twodisks ob--* viously split the original" block into two each of "which may be split For this purpose a similar sm aller "blocks, into two parts.

transverse shaft il) issupported by the upper longitudinal bar 2 and a gitudin'albars 4; These shafts carry pairs of disks or knives 22 and 23 in such position that each pair 22'23 will split oneof. the two smaller blocksinto two parts. Obviously," if 'it isdesired to stillfurther split these shaft/21 by the 1011 B0 pieces t-lieframe may be extended and fur-U flier-splitting disks or knives provided as de sired. p v e i H i :In advance of the (llSKS 22-23, two vertical shafts -24 aremounted' fin appropriate bearings inthe sides of the machine, and each o'f these carries rotary d ,.k or lknife 25 which lies in a horizontal plane! If itiis merely desired to quarter the blockofwood t'hispair of horizontal. disks may be substi p5 tuted for the disksBfZl 23. Moreover, if it desired, additionalpairs ofhoriz'onlt-al' disks ma be provided similar to the disks 22f, 23" for the purpose of splitting the block still further on horizontal lines, I It is, to beuns 1 derst ood' that the drawing is to befrega'rded illustrative andn'ot limiting the numg ber of splitting elements 'w'hich'inay be e'inployed nor: their specific relation to' each other." i

For the purpose of guiding the blocks after they have been once split, thereisprovideda guide constituted byside plates26 andsuitably supported bysprings 27-which may havecen ets in the vertical side bars 7 of the frame and are connected to the guides 26 at their other ends. These'guides are formed at their entrance ends with outturned portions 28 so that the block of wood will be guided between the same but will be held in proper position to the subsequent splitting knives by the force of the springs 27. These guides 26 will be provided with suitable slots 29 through which pass the cutting disks 25.

. Movement may be given to the splitting knives in various ways but as illustrated there is shown a power shaft 30 which 'may be driven from any suitable source of power and isprovided with a pulley 31 around which passes a belt 32, which belt passes around a pulley 33 on the shaft 16, This shaft 16 is also provided outside the framewitha gear 3 34 which meshes withan intermediate gear 35 7 vertical knives 22 and 23 and these will di-" mounted on a stub shaft 36 and also with a gear 37 on the shaft 20. This gear 337 meshes with a gear 38 on the shaft 21 which in turn meshes witha gear 39 on a stub shaft carried by the frame and thegear 39 in turn meshes with a gear 40 on atransverse shaft 41. This shaft 41 is provided with bevel gears 43 which mesh respectively with beveled gears 44 on the lower end of shafts 24. lt will be obvious that by this train of'gearing allofithe splitting disksor'knives will be turned simult-ane-z ouslyand in the same direction from a single source of power. I f i The sprocket chains 14 will be driven in any desired manner and as indicated, one of.

the sliafts lO inay be extended as shown at 45 and th s may be dr ven in any suitable or de- SII'GClHiELDIleI from the same source of power which drives the shaft 30.- 'Theparticular manner in which motion is transmitted. to these partsmay be varied widely and according to circumstancesand, in itselfforms'no part of the invention. a

yFigure 5 illustrates diagrammatically the action of the machine upon a block of wood- X. As thisblockcomesin' contact. with the splitting elements 18 and 19 it is first divided along the vertical plane a. It next enters the guide 26 and the twoparts which have been thus formed are again divided along the lines 6 and 0.v In its further travel a single pair of horizontal splittingmachines 25 will divide the four blocks that have been formed along the line (i. The disclosure in Figure 5 also assumes the extension of the framework and the provision of two pairsof horizontally placed disks or knives corresponding to the vide the previously formed portions of. the block along, the linese and f. It is thus apparent that-by a single passage through the machine thexoriginal block X has been divided into sixteen; parts. As has already been stated, the number and arrangement of the vertical and horizontal: disks maybe varied as desired and the invention isnot limited to along a plurality of planes by 10f pairs of disks'arranged in vertical and horizontal planes and positioned to act in sequence upon said blocks and split the, same along a plurality of planes by a: single passage through the machine, thediscs of each] pair having their edges in alignment and .close together; I i

2. A wood s slittin machine com arisin a.

frame, an endless chain carriage for support ing and moving wood blocks, a'plurality of pairs of splitting disks positionedto act in sequence uponsaid blocks and split the same a single passage through the machine and spring means for maintainingthe blocks in proper position during said passage. I a

,3 A wood splitting machine comprising a frame, an endless chain carriage 1for supporting "an of pairs of disks arranged in vertical and horizontal planes and positioned to actin sequence upon said blocks and split the same along a plurality ofplanes by a single passage through the machine and spring pressed means for maintaining the blocks in proper position during said passage,

4. A- wood splitting machine comprising a frame, 'a carriage supported thereby for movement only to split the block along a vertical plane, and a pair of horizontally arranged disks opposite each other a1icl'- n1oiintecl for rotary movement only with which the block is brought into engagement at another point in its -trajvel tosplit thesame along a horiz'ontal plane, the discs-of each pair having their edges in alignment and close together.

5. A wood splitting machine comprisinga frame, a carriage supported thereby for feeding wood blocks through the machine, a pair of vertically arranged splitting disks opposite each other and mounted for rotary movement only to split the block along a vertical plane, a pair of horizontally arranged disks opposite each otherand mounted for rotary movement only with which the block is brought into engagement at another point in its travel to split the same along a horizontal plane,and spring pressed means for maintaining the blocks in proper position while being fedthrough the machine.

pressed d moving wood blocks, a plurality 6. .A wood splitting machine comprising a r frame, an endless carriage supported thereby for feedingwood blocks through the machine, a plurality of pairs of splitting disks,

opposite each other, Which engagethe block at diilerentpoints in its travel and split it along plurality of planes, and a guideway having spring pressed sides through Which theb-locks pass While being split, one of said pairs being arranged in a vertical plane, and another in a horizontal plane, and the sides of said guideway having slots through which pass the disks arranged in the horizontal plane.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto suhscribed my name.

GEORGE s. WITHAM, en. 

